


Between Letters And Pages

by LadyArrowhead



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Alternative Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M, Present Tense, bookshop au, small random drabbles, updated randomly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-07 03:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5441123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyArrowhead/pseuds/LadyArrowhead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you chat-up that cute dark-haired customer who always asks you for recommendations? According to his co-workers - Clint and Kate - just try to stick your tongue into his mouth. Teddy, however, prefers the slow approach, that just includes staring and dreaming and wishful thinking. However, said customer has a different idea.</p><p>A series of small fluffy bookshop AU drabbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tony_octopus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tony_octopus/gifts).



> Thanks to tony_octopus this is the first betad work in my whole AO3 writings! She's just that amazing! Thanks, ma vhenan.

"Wednesday boy is back", Kate chirps and gives Clint a friendly slap on the butt before winking at Teddy. He hopes he'll never reach that level of friendship with her. Grinning, she passes him and stretches, looking almost ready to perform a victory dance.

            "I have no idea who you are talking about", Teddy whispers and tries to concentrate on his work. Of course, that is a lie. He knows exactly who she is talking about. The black-haired prince with long lashes and long fingers, the one with pale skin and a mole on his neck. He's not really a prince, but he looks like one to Teddy.

The prince is always there on Wednesdays, a day before the issues come out. He'll look through everything and take his time, before he'll ask Teddy if there is anything he can recommend.

What the prince does not know is that Teddy is no longer working in the comics section. He's supposed to move from one section to another. Comics are Kate's business now, but on Wednesdays she switches with him. Today, however, is not Wednesday.

            "You know, the guy you want to hook up with?" Clint reaches for Kate's leg and pulls her back. She almost knocks down the rolling cart with the new manga. Almost. "The guy who asks you and only you for comic recs every Wednesday?"

            "Oh...him."

Teddy tries to keep it casual, hands on the books he needs to get into the shelves, not looking at Kate who is making kissy-faces, not looking at Clint, not looking at anyone. Especially Wednesday boy.

            "I think I know who you are talking about."

            "You know, you could say hi? Put a hand on his shoulder, push your chest out a little bit so that he can read your name tag while checking out those pecs."

The problem with Kate's suggestion is that her voice is calm, matter-of-fact. She's not joking. She means it.

            "I can’t, okay?" Teddy's voice loses a bit of its warmth. "I just...can't."

            "Why not?" Clint raises an eyebrow. "I do it all the time. And you're not even strangers. You've talked to him before."

Teddy's throat starts to feel tight. His cheeks get a little warmer, a blush spreading from his chest all the way up to his ears. He does not want this to get even more intense. He just wants to hide.

            "It's not Wednesday. There is no reason to talk to him. I'll look like a stalker."

            "Or...", Clint insists, "like someone who wants more than just business relations."

            "Or expand businesses. Raising them from zero to...to... _mhm_." Kate's focus on his pants is a little too long for his taste.

            "I will not approach him just like that. Not happening."

As Teddy leaves to shelve more books he feels Team Hawkeye mentally shooting arrows at him.

Getting back to the cooking section helps him calm his breath. He loves being surrounded by Cynthia Barcomi and Gordon Ramsay, Horst Lichter and Jaime Oliver. Cooking always means coming home and cooking books remind him of that, the memory so strong he almost forgets about Wednesday boy.

            "Excuse me?"

This voice however, brings him back. Slowly, quietly Teddy turns around and meets a pair of warm brown eyes. The eyes of his favourite customer. Smirking softly, determination in his gaze, the young man takes a step forward.

            "Is there anything you can recommend?"

Teddy is not prepared for this. But the longer the man smirks, the warmer he feels. Safer. Better. Before he knows it, he is laughing.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s Wednesday. To Teddy, this means, it is the happiest day of the whole week. Tomorrow the new issues come out. Tonight the new episode of Teen Titans is on. Most importantly, today his favourite costumer will be back at the store.  
  
His cheeks hurt a little from smiling when he comes in to work, but he doesn’t mind. Kate has already finished unpacking, though she somehow seems a lot more edgy than normal. Clint is nowhere to be seen.  
    “Everything okay?”, Teddy asks and gets a helpless shake of her head as an answer.  
  
    “I think I just saw my ex”, Kate whispers and drags her beanie a bit down deeper.   
  
Teddy didn’t know she had an ex but when he asks her for details she just shushes him and presses some books into his hands.  
    “If someone asks for me, I’m dead”, Kate announces and with that ducks back around the corner.  
  
There’s no trace of him, neither of her ex-boyfriend nor the prince-like young man with the delicate fingers and the cute smile.   
  
    “Where’s Clint?”  
  
    “Sick”, Kate mumbles. “Can I hide here a bit longer while you draw the attention of your sweetheart and my ex? And please mention that you beat up people as a hobby?”  
  
    “I do not!” Teddy gasps. “And don’t you think hiding down there is a bit too close to running away for your usual behaviour?”  
  
    “…Excuse me?”  
  
    “The great Kate Bishop hiding under a desk…”, Teddy mumbles and tries to hide his grin when she gets up, points at the comic section and then rushes to the cooking books. He checks his watch before getting to work. It’s almost time for his customer to arrive. He can’t wait.  
  
-  
  
He’s late, but that doesn’t mean anything. It just makes concentrating on work a bit harder, without that encouraging smile he usually gets around ten. It’s only fifteen minutes after their usual meeting time, so there is no reason to panic.  
  
Teddy wants to ask Kate to check, but she is still nervous about her ex.  
    “I just don’t want to see him. It was a nasty break-up”, she explains. “He had something with…well…another girl and…”  
  
    “And you’re scared?”, Teddy offers helpfully and earns a grimace in response.  
  
    “And I’m furious. I’ll lose this job the moment I explain to him just what a dick move that was!”, she hisses and pinches his cheek affectionately. “So, I don’t mean to see him. You can have my hawkeyes for now.”  
  
It was too bad this wasn’t an actual deal, for Teddy still couldn’t spot the prince between the shelves.  
  
  
-  
  
It’s lunchtime when he hears about the rainstorm heading their way. Kate doesn’t touch her food at all, so it’s three sandwiches for Teddy instead of two. He cannot wait to get back to work.  
  
    “He still isn’t there? Wednesday boy I mean?”  
  
Teddy nods and continues to chew his food silently.  
  
    “He needs to be here soon, then. As soon as possible or else he’ll get all soaked.”  
  
Teddy agrees and while he still wishes to see the reason why he loves Wednesday so much, a tiny part of him hopes the man will stay home and not get sick. He already looks a bit too pale.  
  
-  
  
His shift ends in half an hour and the sky is completely dark. Wednesday Boy is not coming. Of course he isn’t. Judging from the way the sky looks, all hell is about to break loose.  
  
Teddy pretends he doesn’t see Kate putting several chocolate bars in his bag. He pretends he doesn’t notice how his heart hurts just a little. How he feels colder in disappointment, how he actually dared to think the tiny ritual was something special.  
  
It’s easy – he sells books. The prince is a customer.  
  
End of story.  
  
-  
  
He says his goodbye to Kate, who has also taken Clint’s shift, and while her mood has gone up again it is Teddy’s that slowly made its way down until it reached the bottom. True, he could still watch his series but the usual giddy feeling that accompanied him back home is not there.  
  
It’s still raining but he’s got an umbrella. Opening it, Teddy takes a few steps down the street before he hears someone run up behind him.  
  
    “Wait!”  
  
 Teddy feels a wet hand on his shoulder and nearly yelps. As he turns around he meets the warm eyes of his favourite customer. He’s drenched from the rain, his hair sticking to his face, and for a moment he holds his chest to make it easier to breathe.  
  
    “I-…I’m sorry!”, he stutters, his voice strangely shaking. “My…my brother needed me for something and…and then the bus didn’t come, so I walked, but the rain...” He coughs and Teddy immediately reaches for his handkerchief, the only thing he can offer to wipe the water off a little.  
  
    “I’m so sorry!”, he professes again and for a moment their hands touch as the prince takes the handkerchief to dry his face.  
  
Teddy cannot stop the smile that makes its way to his face, nor the warm feeling that’s all over his body,   
    “Why are you sorry?”  
  
    “Because I wanted to be earlier, I promise”, the man explains, “I always make sure to be there on time but today everything was a mess and…and now you are leaving and…”  
They both realize at the same time how ridiculous they are. Finally, the prince hands him the handkerchief back.  
    “I doubt I can ask you for recommendations now. You’re done with work?”  
  
Teddy nods and takes only a small moment to decide that, now that he’s had Wednesday Boy in his head all day, he does not want to say goodbye already. He holds his other arm out, holding the umbrella up between the both of them, smiling.  
  
    “Where’s the bus you need to take? I don’t want you to get sick.”  
  
Wednesday Boy blushes, waits for Teddy to laugh and tell him it is a joke. But when he realizes that Teddy means every word, he looks at him with such a grateful smile, Teddy’s sure that having this crush is one of the best things that ever happened to him.


End file.
